Wish I was like you
by scarletwoman
Summary: Percy has noticed that Oliver has stopped eating lately. What's wrong with him? Can Percy help before it's too late?
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One  
  
Percy watched as Oliver Wood pushed around the mashed potatoes on his plate. Of course, he watched out of the corner of his eye so that no one would notice him staring. He was used to watching this ritual. Oliver would draw lazy circles on his plate, scattering the food but not eating any of it. This had been going on for months now - at least - but Percy had only realized that it was a problem recently. At first he had just thought that Oliver was too worried about the next Quidditch match to eat, or too busy. But it had turned into something more. Percy was good at watching quietly and making observations - studying. He studied Oliver as much as any of his subjects. They were, after all, roommates. However, his classes were something he understood ; this wasn't.  
  
He didn't understand why Oliver wasn't eating. Sometimes he would- he'd take a small bite of fruit - watermellon, his favourite, or drink water, but nothing more. He even turned his nose down at the Canary Cremes that Fred and George offered him. He used to take them eagerly - the ones that the spell hadn't been placed on- they were his favourite treat . He said that he only had to turn into a Canary once to learn that taking anything from the twins was a bad idea, and this satisfied everyone. Everyone except Percy. He worried. Sometimes he'd lay awake late at night, listening to Oliver's even breathing as he slept, and watching his chest heave up and down. Sometimes he'd whisper to Oliver, hoping that he was awake, but Oliver would just stir without acknowledging him.  
  
He wanted to help, and Percy Weasley only knew two ways to help with anything. One, tell someone who is a higher authority than you are, and two, head for the library. Percy decided on the latter. On his first free Saturday, when he wasn't needed for his Prefect duties, Percy travelled from the Gryffindor dormitories to the library. Luckily, the library was almost empty because of a weekend Quidditch match. Percy had had to sacrifice watching Oliver play against the Slytherins for this, but it would be worth it if he could get any insight at all. He took the first book that he found on magical maladies to a table in the back and opened it. He scanned for any information on not eating. He repeatedly found 'loss of appetite" , but he didn't think that was what Oliver had. Oliver had stopped eating on his own will, Percy was sure of it. Percy searched for the greater part of the afternoon, to no avail. Before dinner, Percy returned to the Gryffindor common room. He was surprised to see that it was still full, hardly anyone had gone to the Great Hall yet. His younger brother, Ron, approached him.  
  
"Where've you been, you git?" he asked, being bothersome as usual.  
  
" Studying. Which is something that you should've been doing. If you spent less time watching Quidditch and more time studying, you-" Percy stopped in midsentence, just having noticed that Ron was without his two best friends, Harry and Hermione, which was an extremely rare occurence. " Where's Harry?" he asked, careful not to mention Hermione. Ron got easily angry when Hermione was brought up- Fred and George teased him mercilessly about her.  
  
"He's with Oliver...in the hospital wing." Ron said, nonchalantly.  
  
"What? Why?" Percy asked.  
  
"Oliver took a nasty fall." Ron shrugged and continued, but Percy didn't hear anything more that he said. He had already turned and started out for Madame Pomfrey's office. 


	2. A match of patience

Chapter two  
  
Percy barged into the hospital ward, not remembering to knock on the door. Usually he was reserved and polite, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He spoke to Madame Pomfrey, trying to remain calm. He had to make this seem as if it was a normal visit from the prefect of a house to one of his fellow students. Madame Pomfrey directed him to the hospital bed at the very end of the office, on the right, and he began to make his way back there. He grimaced inwardly as he noticed the team of three girls and three boys, all clad in matching gold and burgundy Quidditch uniforms, sitting and standing around Oliver's bed.  
  
Harry was the first to notice Percy, and he nodded politely at him. The girls smiled and greeted him warmly, and the terrors - errr, his brothers, stood up and walked over to him. Standing on either side of him, they announced his presence loudly to the team, in their best game show host voices. Oliver sat up slowly, looking quizzically at the somewhat disheveled Percy. Percy noticed the beginning of a bruise starting to form on Oliver's left temple.  
  
"Hey Perce..." he spoke, obviously wondering why Percy had come to visit him. Oliver had been injured plenty of times, and Percy had never come before.  
  
"Hello, Oliver. How are you feeling?" Percy asked akwardly. In response, Oliver smiled slightly. He wished that no one else was there. Why wouldn't the bloody Quidditch team just leave? As if reading his thoughts, Harry checked his watch.  
  
"I'm going to go and get something to eat now. Take care, Wood." he said, turning towards the rest of his team mates. "Would anyone else like to join me?"  
  
"I will," Angelina said "As long as Fred and George'll come, too. We still have to discuss strategies." Fred and George nodded, and Percy noticed the pleased look on Oliver's face. He admired Oliver for being able to keep such a well-trained and dedicated team - he knew that it was hard to keep the twins interested in anything for long. As Harry stood to leave, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet followed. They said quiet goodbyes to Percy as they left, fearful of raising their voices about a whisper due to the rath that would insue from Pomfrey. Angelina, Fred,and George followed, with Fred and George messing up his hair on their way out. Now it was just him and Oliver.  
  
Percy smoothed his hair as he sat down in the chair beside Oliver's bed, unsure of what to say. He let his eyes wander over Oliver's body as Oliver stared up at him with his big brown eyes. His eyes seemed to be the only big thing about him now- he had tiny little wrists and legs. His cheekbones were so prominent now. His body which was once so muscular now seemed small and almost feminine. Oliver spoke first.  
  
"So what's up Perce?" he asked. Percy cleared his throat and shook his head.  
  
"Nothing. Why?" he responded, probably too quickly. What did Oliver know?  
  
"The way you look at me. It's like you know something that no one else does." he said, more of a question than a statement. What Oliver was really asking was, 'okay, what do you know?' . Now had to be the time, Percy thought.  
  
"Oliver...Ol..I've noticed that you haven't been eating as much lately. Is something wrong?" he questioned nervously.  
  
Oliver squeezed his eyes shut before even thinking about responding. " N-n- no. Nothing's wrong. I've just been watching my weight for Quidditch, okay?" He responded, trying not to get defensive. Percy bit his bottom lip. Quidditch. Yeah, right. That's why he had lost so much weight. Watching his weight was one thing, starving himself was another. He was nobody's fool.  
  
"Maybe...have you talked to anyone about this yet? maybe you should get some help, Ol. I think this is more serious that you think it is." As soon as the words left Percy's mouth, he could see that he had said the wrong thing from the expression on Oliver's face. He looked as if he had just been told that he could never play Quidditch again.  
  
"Get help? I'M BLOODY FINE!" he screeched. "SO SOD OFF, OKAY!?!" Percy had started to respond when Madame Pomfrey hurried towards them.  
  
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she hissed at Percy. " For upsetting a patient like this. Please go." Percy opened his mouth to protest, but Madame Pomfrey silenced him with a quick "shhhh!" and he turned around and left the hospital ward. 


	3. Shocking a Prefect

Chapter three  
  
Percy walked into the common room the next morning, still silently fuming. Oliver was so stubborn! He needed help. He had to see that. Right? he must know that he needed help. After all, he was a Quidditch player. He was obsessed with the health and wellness of his team, so of course he had to see that he was becoming sickeningly thin himself. How could he not? Percy stopped and blinked, trying to calm down. His thoughts were becoming jumbled. He needed to think clearly. The only thing to do would be to try to talk to him again. They were roommates, so surely Percy would have a lot of time. Oliver had not yet returned from the hospital ward, but his stays were never more than two or three days long.  
  
He desperately wanted to help Oliver. He cared about him. Only as a friend, of course. Nothing more. Even if Oliver did used to parade around their room shamelessly with just a towel wrapped around his waist after showering, water still clinging to the well-defined muscles on his torso. No. He couldn't think about that again. He shook his head to clear it of all thoughts. When Oliver had suddenly developed some modesty, Percy had thought nothing of it. He was just glad that his daily exhibitions had stopped- he, Percy, did not like men. He fancied Penelope Clearwater. He was just jealous of Oliver's body. Yes, that was it.  
  
Percy spent the Sunday afternoon supervising a trip to Hogsmeade for the third years and up. Fred and George were their usual trouble-making selves, getting into as much trouble as possibly. They managed to spill one of their "disappearing ink" potions on his robes, laughing and falsely apologizing when it didn't disappear. He was much less amused than they were. Percy made a mental note to owl his Mother home about their bad behavior. He also noticed that Ron, Harry and Hermione seemed to be missing- where could they be? He assumed that they were with Hagrid and dismissed the thought- they always seemed to be with the Hogwart's gamekeeper.  
  
When they returned back at the castle, Percy had more Prefect duties. He returned to his room to change his ink-stained robes, and sat on his bed. Now wearing a fresh set of robes, he polished his Prefect badge absentmindedly. He pinned it on and stood up, ready to make his rounds. He had potions homework to do that night, but he would either have to give up sleep or not do it since he had been busy all weekend. Of course, not handing it in was not an option so he would have to do it later. Percy made his Prefect rounds, to find that basically everything was the same as usual. He had some trouble with the Slytherins in the dungeon as usual, but the other students (mostly first and second years) were courteous and minded him.  
  
By the time he returned to the Gryffindor house, it was quite late. He found two students sitting quietly in the common room, and he warned them that it was past curfew and that they should be in their dormitories. One, Seamus Finnigan - a friend of Ron's - snickered to himself, but both he and the other student he was with got up and went to their dorm. Percy climbed the stairs to the room that he and Oliver shared and opened the door, shocked to find someone moving in the shadows. He flicked on the light to see a shirtless Oliver standing there with his back to him. Percy audibly gasped, and Oliver turned around to look at him. Percy was horrified- bones were protruding from Oliver, and his collarbone, spine, and ribcage were visible through his skin. He stared, mouth agape at him for quite awhile before Oliver said anything.  
  
"Anything wrong, Perce?" he questioned, looking at Percy quizzically.  
  
"Oliver, you're so skinny!" he said, and Oliver blushed, looking pleased with himself.  
  
"Thanks." he replied, laughing. "I'm trying to lose weight for Quidditch." Obviously Oliver didn't understand that Percy hadn't meant it as a compliment.  
  
"No...that's not what I mean. Don't you think you've lost a little too much weight? It's like I said in the hospital. Maybe you should get hel- " Percy was cut off in the middle of his sentence by Oliver's sudden glare. Oliver had changed from being flattered and happy to angry in record time.  
  
"I don't need help, thank you. And what do you know, anyhow? This isn't some school subject, not a Prefect duty. It's Athletics. It's different from what you know!" he barked, his words stinging Percy. "If you won't stop badgering me, than I'm going to have to stay somewhere else!" With that, Oliver grabbed the gold and red blanket off his bed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Percy stared at the closed door before deciding to give Oliver his time, and shutting off the lights to go to sleep. 


	4. As cold as Death

Chapter 4  
  
Percy woke up in a cold sweat and looked at the clock. The red numbers blazed "5:10". AM or PM? He tried to remember if he had been napping after classes or if this was the morning. Through his disorientation he managed to remember Oliver storming out of the dormitory and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Oliver was still gone. And why had he woken up? he always slept through the night. It was because of Oliver, but also something else....his potions homework! He had yet to do it! Snape would have his head if it was left undone!  
  
Percy rushed over to his desk and took a quill and some parchment out of the drawer. He quickly scribbled down the answers to the questions that Snape had dictated to the class and hoped that most of them were right. The only other thing he had to do was find an ingredient for the potion they would be making the next day- l'essence de l'attraction impossiblement forte . He rifled through his drawers, but did not seem to have it anywhere. He knew that he had bought it at the beginning of the year - if one of the twins had stolen it, Mum would hear about it. What was he to do? He thought for a moment before deciding to find Oliver and ask to borrow his. He must own it, with all of the ladies after him.  
  
Percy walked into the corridor expecting to find Oliver sleeping on the ground, but he was surprised when he didn't. He walked into the common room to find him laying on his back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He tried calling his name, but no words came out. Oliver just looked so sad and lost. His large brown eyes were clouded over and he had his arms folded tightly over his chest. "Oliver," he managed to whisper, causing Oliver to stir and roll over. "Come back to the room, okay? Don't stay in here. You need to sleep, and besides, it's freezing here." The fireplace had been broken by a poorly cast spell a few days ago and had not yet been fixed. Oliver shifted his gaze away from Percy and continued to stare vacantly. Percy walked over to the couch and took Oliver's hand, pulling him to his feet. Oliver was stubborn, but something about this wasn't right. Even when he was angry, Oliver never denied anyone conversation.  
  
Percy waved a hand in front of Oliver's face, trying to get him to follow his movement. No luck. He placed one warm hand on his cheek and pulled away, shocked by the sudden cold. Oliver was freezing- colder than the room. Percy stepped forward with Oliver's hand in his, and Oliver leaned slightly, not moving along with him. He was in some sort of stupor and Percy was frightened. Mustering all the physical strength he had, Percy bent his knees and scooped Oliver into his arms, taking him back to their room. He would try to warm him before getting help. If that didn't work, he would go straight to Madame Pomfrey again.  
  
Percy walked to Oliver's bed and folded down the sheets, placing Oliver gently on the bed. He covered him up and then ripped the Gryffindor quilt off his own bed to place over Oliver, replacing the one that had been forgotten in the common room. Oliver shut his eyes, and his breathing slowed down. Percy couldn't be sure that he was sleeping, but he didn't think he was too badly off anymore, either. Maybe all he needed was rest. He laid down on top of Oliver's quilt between Oliver and the edge of the bed, and drifted off to a dreamless and disatisfying sleep. 


	5. Blue kisses

Percy awoke the next morning when the sun began to shine brightly in his room. He looked across at Oliver's bed to find that Oliver was still missing. He had to still be in the common room, or else he had gotten up early to practice that thrice-damned Quidditch. Percy continued to look at Oliver's bed....the quilt was gone, but the sheets were all messed up, too. Did Oliver come back to the room to sleep last night? If he did, then where was his quilt? Something else was wrong about this, too. The walls looked....different. Unnaturally baren. And then things clicked for him. He wasn't looking at Oliver's bed like he had every other morning of his Hogwarts career- he was looking at his own. He rolled over and looked at the wall over the bed that he was in. The large poster, bearing the words "Quidditch: It's a life partner, not a career" and a team of both male and female players clad in blue uniforms was on the wall as it always had been. And beside him, Oliver was lying. Beautiful, fragile little Oliver.   
  
Percy looked at the clock. It was time for breakfast. In fact, they were probably a little late. All of the other Gryffindors would be in the Great Hall already. The Ravenclaws would be, too- they always managed to get there first. However, the Hufflepuffs always seemed to be late- they meant well but had trouble being punctual. It annoyed Percy, but not as much as the Slytherins. They liked to come in late and be as noisy as possible when doing so. They wanted to show that they didn't have to follow anyone's rules or schedules. Professor Dumbledore never repremanded them, but Percy would had he been the headmaster.   
  
Percy reached out one fair, freckled hand towards Oliver, shaking him gently. Oliver moaned slightly and rolled over, attempting to get away from him. Percy laughed quietly and grabbed his wand off of the bedside table that was inbetween their beds. He conjured up a wash cloth and then magically wet it with ice-cold water. Sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind, right? Percy reasoned with himself before deciding to place the cloth on Oliver's neck. That would get him up. Oliver sprung out of bed with an energy that he had not shown the night before and Percy stood up, smiling triumphantly.  
  
"Percy! What did you do that for?" Oliver asked in his thick Scottish brogue. Percy grinned devilishly in response.   
  
"Feeling better today?" he asked "It's time for breakfast and classes. Are you coming?"   
  
"Ummm....no. I think I'll....ummm....sleep a bit longer, okay? I'm still not feeling perfectly well." Percy nodded and got up to dress before realizing what Oliver was trying to do and turning around. He wouldn't let him not eat.   
  
"I'll bring you breakfast in here, then. We can eat together." Percy said.  
  
"No, it's okay. You'll be late for classes if you take the time to bring food up here." Oliver persisted.   
  
" I don't mind, really! What will you have to eat?" Oliver shook his head in response, turning slightly white. It was as if food scared him, Percy thought. "Ol, I'm not going anywhere until I see you eat something! We're going to eat together, okay? I'll bring you back something. You stay here." Percy put on his robes and performed a locking-charm on their dorm room door so that it could only be opened from the outside. He then proceeded to the Great Hall where he took a plate with a little bit of everything- fruit, toast, eggs, sausage, flatcakes and waffles. He dodged the questions from Ron about where he was going and took the pitcher of Pumpkin Juice that sat in front of his place, despite Ron's protest. He returned to the room and unlocked the door. Oliver had gotten back in bed and was currently facing the wall, staring vancantly again. Uh-oh, Percy thought, it's happening again. He turned to go get Madame Pomfrey when Oliver looked at him.   
  
"Perce? Why do you care about me so much?" he asked "No one else does. Not my Quidditch team, not the teachers, not any of our other classmates. I'll bet that no one else would have even noticed that I hadn't been in classes, if it hadn't been for that fall. " Percy began to protest, but Oliver continued. "I do appreciate what you're trying to do for me, I really do, but I still don't want to eat, okay? I still feel sick. Maybe tomorrow..." he trailed off.   
  
"How about you just take a few bites today, okay Ol? You've got to eat to gain back your stength. I brought a lot of food for you." He offered Oliver the plate, yet Oliver still shook his head. "Just one piece of fruit, okay?" he picked up a blueberry and gave it to him. Oliver still shook his head, so Percy cupped his hand around Oliver's delicate jaw and looked him straight in the eyes. "Please. Eat." He impulsively ran his index finger across Oliver's lips, and Oliver shut his eyes. His lips were so perfect. Pink and succulent, so juicy that the Raspberries on the breakfast plate were probably ashamed to be in the same room as Oliver. Percy just wanted to kiss those lips. Oh no, there he went thinking like that again. He couldn't kiss Oliver. He liked girls, and he was sure that Oliver did, too. Yet, Oliver tilted his head up towards Percy's and the desire burned more furiously than before. Percy leaned in and kissed him gently. It was only for a second, but in that one second Percy found bliss. He pulled away as suddenly as the kiss had began and looked away, embarassed. He cleared his throat before looking back at Oliver, but Oliver didn't seem embarassed. In fact, Oliver leaned in and kissed Percy again, longer this time. Time may have actually stopped as they were kissing, Percy wasn't sure. All he knew was that he wanted to be with Oliver like this forever. He ended the kiss again and the intellectual side of him regained power. He popped a blueberry into his mouth before joining lips with Oliver again. He moved the blueberry with his tongue and pushed it into Oliver's mouth. Oliver squirmed when he realized what was happening, but swallowed the fruit none-the-less. Percy picked up another berry and repeated the process. Fifteen minutes later, when all of the berries were gone, Percy checked his watch. It was almost time for class. He informed Oliver, but Oliver decided to stay in their room and sleep through the morning classes. Percy nodded and left the room, kissing Oliver on the forehead before doing so.  
  
As the door shut, Oliver used his tongue to retrieve the now-crushed berries from his cheek and spit them into a napkin, dropping them in the garbage can. 


	6. Potions Problems

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. I promise that there will be a better one up soon. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and a special thanks to RainDrops who has listed me as a favourite author!   
  
***  
  
Percy ran through the Potions class door just as the first bell sounded. Professor Snape looked at him disapprovingly, but said nothing. He sat down in the only empty seat - one at the front of the classroom- and inwardly groaned as the Slytherin Quidditch captain, Marcus Flint, looked over at him. Professor Snape instructed the class to take out their homework and Percy pulled out the rolled up piece of homework that he'd scribbled his answers on to. He looked around the room to see that he was the only one with just a piece of parchment- everyone else had potions ingredients, as well. In a moment of sheer panic he glanced around trying to find someone to borrow his missing ingredient - l'essence de l'attraction impossiblement forte - from. He was surrounded by Slytherins, and most of the Gryffindors seemed to be sitting at the back of the room, as far away from Snape as possible.  
  
"Anything wrong, Weasley?" Flint sneered "Missing something, perhaps?" Percy gulped and sank lower in his seat.He could see that Flint had the potion, but he didn't want a Slytherin's "help". He opened his mouth to speak, but was saved by a loud crash behind him. He glanced in the direction of the noise to see that Persephone Maralis's cauldron had fallen off her desk, spilling it's contents all over the floor. Snape stalked angrily to the back of the class and the Slytherin's all snickered at her. Percy's heart jumped as he realized that this would be his chance to get the ingredient- he grabbed Flint's and poured a few drops in to his cauldron. When all the commotion had calmed down, Marcus Flint turned back to Percy and repeated his question. Percy smiled and shook his head, much to Flint's confusion. Percy continued to add ingredients to the potion that they were making- a strong love potion which could either have positive effects on it's subject or extremely negative ones. He added the final ingredient, the stem of a blood red rose, and picked up his wand. He tapped the cauldron, saying the incantation that would heat it rapidly.  
  
"Calorius" he muttered, sending sparks from his wand. He peered in at the potion, noticing that it was changing colour. It was no longer a deep red, but was fading to a fuscia...to a pink....to a white...was this supposed to happen? He looked towards Professor Snape for help, but changed his mind when he saw Snape scribbling furiously in his books. Percy returned his gaze to the cauldron, and the potion started to bubble upwards at him, coming quicker than he could jump away. There was a loud bang and then the Potions classroom faded out of focus. 


	7. Monster

Percy was engulfed by the orange light, trying to fight through it and make sense of it all. He moved his arms, fighting hopelessly against the force that was holding him back. He made a small anguished sound and someone called out his name. The world that he had been in split apart and he was brought back down to reality. The orange light was still there, but he could also see a sliver of white through his eyelids. He tried to force them open, but was unsuccessful. "Perce," the voice called out again. "Percy?" He jumped as something cold was placed over his eyes and they shot open. A wash cloth. He was getting a taste of his own medecine.   
  
He found that he was in the hospital wing. The voice had belonged to Hermione Granger, of all people. She nervously explained that she was there because Ron had been with him but had had to go back to the Gryffindor Tower to talk with Professor McGonagall. Percy had mumbled incoherently and Hermione had laughed in the way that people seem to when they don't understand what's going on but don't want to let on that they're clueless. He wanted to know what had happened to him. He remembered nothing. She stared back blankly at him, but he knew her well enough to know that her mind was not blank- it never was. She hurriedly told him that she would go get Madame Pomfrey and scampered away before he could respond. He let his eyes wander through the hospital wing, drifting over each bed. They were all empty now, but the bed across from him still had someone's personal effects on it. He noticed angrily that no one had thought to bring him anything- no books, no clothes, not even his wand. Probably because he'd be released right away- he wasn't really sick. He heard the pit-pat of feet on the stone floor, and flicked his eyes towards Madame Pomfrey. She smiled uncertainly before speaking.  
  
"How are you feeling, Mr. Weasley?" she asked, eyeing him up and down.  
  
"Fine," he responded. "May I go now?" The look on Madame Pomfrey's matched the one that Hermione had given him when he had asked why he was in the hospital wing. The nurse swallowed noticeably and shifted her eyes.   
  
"I think it would be best if you stayed in my care for another few days." She responded. She walked to the bedside table and retreived a mirror from the drawer, handing it to him along with his glasses. "Look, Percy." He put on his glasses and as he looked his brown eyes grew wider and wider behind the shiny silver frames. He dropped the mirror on to the floor with a gasp. It shattered in to a hundred peices and the perfect, neat side of him worried about cleaning it up before anyone could cut themselves. However, the panicked side shoved the perfectionist out of the way and screamed loudly at it to be quiet.   
  
He couldn't believe what he had seen. His skin....it was...it was... all cracked. He looked as if he had spent the last million years under the hot Sahara desert sun. As if the top of his head had contained water that had suddenly overflowed and fought for a way down his face, leaving dry riverbeds on the way. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. It was so ironic. The doctor had become the patient. His last thought seemed to have come out of nowhere and he was struck by it. That was right- he had been playing the doctor. Now who would care for Oliver? He couldn't bear it if anyone saw him in this condition, especially Oliver.   
  
Madame Pomfrey was busily moving the shards of glass with magic so that they were all piled together, but she stopped suddenly when Percy asked her a question.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey...will I ever look normal again?" she avoided his eyes as she answered.  
  
"We're not sure. The potion you were trying to make went horribly awry- we think that maybe you added the wrong ingredient. I'm sorry Percy. There's no way to know." He remembered his face and began to cry, silently at first but then sobbing loudly and gasping for air. Hermione returned with Ron, and they both shared a worried and uncomforable look that went unnoticed by Percy before Ron ran to his older brother and wrapped his arms around him. 


	8. Not a Monster in the Closet

The next morning found Madame Pomfrey sitting by the side of Percy's bed and flipping through the pages of the book she was looking at. Percy noted that her copy of "Magical Maladies and Ailments" was worn and creased, much like the copy that Mrs. Weasley kept at home. She glanced up at Percy and forced a smile for his sake before glancing at her watch. She wished that her other patient would return- he had left for a meeting with Dumbledore against her wishes, but he should be back by now. He was about the same age as Percy Weasley and she hoped that he could keep him company.   
  
Percy watched as Madame Pomfrey got up and walked into her office, closing the door behind her. He closed his eyes and listened to the ringing silence of the room for what seemed like an eternity. He breathed in the medicinal smell of the hospital ward and wondered if muggle hospitals smelled the same way. He absolutely hated boredom and the erradic thoughts that came with it. He heard the hospital door knob turn and opened his eyes to see who was entering. First he noticed the brown shoes - large, probably size 10 or 11- and understood that it was a male. His eyes travelled up his black robes, settling on the Gryffindor badge for a moment before meeting his gaze. Oliver. The last person that he had wanted to come visit him and see him in his condition had.   
  
Oliver looked back at Percy, directly into his eyes and Percy realized that Oliver must be seeing him for the monster that he was. His cheeks blushed a characteristicly Weasley red, and he mentally pleaded with Oliver, asking him to turn away. But Oliver didn't. He just kept looking into Percy's eyes until Percy felt that he could take no more. He wasn't sure whether to run or to bury himself in the musty blankets and hope that he'd suffocate. But Percy didn't need to do either. Oliver walked slowly to his bed and sat down on the edge of it before placing his small body next to Percy's. His warmth was comforting, although Percy hoped that Madame Pomfrey did not return to see them like this. What would she think? what did HE think? even he wasn't sure. He wasn't supposed to feel attracted to other men, but something about this small, warm body just felt right to him. Why did the curve of Oliver's back have to fit so perfectly against him? Oliver rolled over so that he was facing Percy and gingerly touched his face, tracing one of the lines down from his forehead to his chin.  
  
"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Does what hurt?" Percy responded without thinking.  
  
"This. Me touching your face." Percy shook his head no.   
  
"Does it feel....gross?" Percy choked out, fearing the answer.  
  
"No. It feels like...Percy." Oliver said, smiling childishly. His smile quickly faded. "I hurt sometimes." Percy was surprised by this new side of Oliver- childish and vulnerable- but decided to pursue the topic.  
  
"How do you hurt, Ol?"  
  
"All over. My legs, and my arms, and my chest. Sometimes it feels as if even my toenails and hair hurt." He grimaced, and Percy placed a hand on his arm. Oliver's thick Scottish accent sounded so manly, but the words were really that of a child. A hurt, scared child.   
  
"Why do they hurt?" he prodded. Oliver took a deep breath before responding.  
  
"Because I work hard at Quidditch. The pain is a good pain. It means that all of my fat is going away....someday I want to be as skinny as you are, Percy. I want to be just like you." The words resounded in Percy's brain. He knew that these were words that he would hear until the day he died. 


	9. Gone

Percy didn't know how to respond. Oliver wanted to be just like him? just like PERCY? he didn't think that anyone else alive had ever wanted to be like him. He was just ,well, Percy Wealsey. Bookworm extraordinare, studious, intelligent but just... down-right geeky. Why would a Quidditch hunk like Oliver want to be Percy? Oliver had everything going for him! The entire female body of Hogwarts swooned whenever he was around.  
  
"Why would you want to be like me, Oliver?" Percy asked.  
  
" You're perfect, Percy. The perfect prefect, you know? people call you that." Percy nodded, while secretly thinking 'they do?' but decided that this was not the time for that discussion. "You're smart, Perce! And so skinny. I wish I had your body. Your arms are so tiny, and so smooth. No buldges at all!Your skin is so white."  
  
"What? Oliver, can't you see how skinny you are?" Percy asked, horrified.   
  
" I'm not as skinny as you are." Oliver sighed, and Percy's eyes widened with shock. Couldn't Oliver see? he was much skinnier than Percy, and that was a difficult task. Percy had taken after Molly, his Mum, who had been a size two until after she had had her first two children, and his older brother Bill joked that if Percy was to turn sideways he'd disappear. And yet, somehow, Oliver was still drastically skinnier. Percy opened his mouth to speak but was startled by the door to the hospital wing opening. He jumped off the bed just before Hermione Granger walked into the room with Harry Potter and his brother Ron in tow. The three of them must have still noticed that something was wrong though, because they all gave Percy a funny look. Percy stalked back over to his bed and sat down on it, glancing at Oliver quickly. Oliver had an interesting expression on his face- somewhere between amused and slightly hurt. Harry lowered his eyes to the ground, probably slightly embarassed to be there. He was still unaccustomed to family gatherings or anything that had to do with emotions, and sometimes seemed uncomfortable at the Burrow. Ron walked over to Percy, handing him a basket of things from his mother.  
  
"Mum says that she and Dad are going to come to Hogwarts as soon as he can get the time off from the Ministry- tommorow, maybe. Fred and George were here earlier to say hello, but you were asleep. Is there anything else you need, Perce?" He asked, grimacing a little in the way that he often did.   
  
"No, but shouldn't you be getting to class?" Percy asked. Ron rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath that sounded oddly like 'feeling better, I see'', but he still turned to leave calling goodbye over his shoulder. Hermione and Harry followed, each waving in turn. As soon as the door shut Percy turned back to Oliver's bed, only to find it empty. 


	10. Astronomy Tower Cliche

Percy glanced around the room to make sure that Madame Pomfrey was in her office before he tip-toed to the hall door and opened it. Madame Pomfrey wouldn't allow him to leave if he simply asked her, so he'd have to sneak out. He didn't feel great about doing it - afterall, he WAS a prefect- but some things just had to be done. He was pretty sure that he knew where Oliver would be. He knew that he sometimes snuck up to the Astronomy Tower to be alone. Percy knew that all of the students should be in class, and hoped that Professor Trelawney's students would be in her lofty classroom. He snuck quietly towards the Astronomy Tower before happening to catch a glimpse of himself in a window. He stiffled a laugh as he saw his white and green striped hospital gown, which was much too thin and almost transparent. He muttered "vestio" to himself and was quickly dressed in his Gryffindor uniform. He also noticed that his face seemed to be improving at least a little bit - it almost seemed as if some of the lines had begun to disappear.   
  
  
  
He had to shield his eyes from the harsh light of the sun in the Astronomy Tower once he arrived. Everything appeared to be white, and it looked like there was no Oliver. Percy sighed. He was wrong- Oliver had gone somewhere else. He was startled by a small sniffling sound behind him, and Percy spun around to find Oliver sitting on the floor with his head in his hands. Percy wasn't sure whether or not Oliver was crying until Oliver looked up and he could clearly see the tears streaking down his cheeks. Percy impulsively lowered himself down to Oliver and embraced him, squeezing him as tightly to himself as he could. It felt nice to have the comfort of another human body with his after the few days that he has just experienced. He held him for what seemed like an eternity before Oliver stopped crying and removed his head from Percy's shoulders. Oliver's brown eyes looked in to Percy's blue ones, and Oliver sniffled again. Percy wanted to make him feel better, so he acted on impulse again. He took Oliver's chin in the palm of his hand and kissed him as tenderly as possible. The kiss was so deep and sensual that Percy could feel goosebumps forming on his arms and legs. Every rational thought left Percy's head and he realized that he didn't care who saw them. Snape himself could walk in right them and see them and Percy wouldn't worry. They kissed until they were dizzy from lack of oxygen (or at least that's why Percy told himself he was feeling so disoriented), and yet still continued to kiss some more. Finally they broke apart, still embracing. Oliver glanced down and whispered quietly "I need help, Perce." Percy nodded and Oliver continued. "I haven't been eating, and Nurse Pomfrey thinks I may have some muggle disease...anorexia or something. I've been going to see her for treatments, but there's really no magical cure. I haven't eaten for days. I...I...even spit out those blueberries you gave me. I'm sorry." he said, still sniffling.  
  
"It's okay, Oliver. I care about you, you know that?" he asked. Oliver nodded. "Will you come back to the hospital wing now? I'll stay with you if you want, until you feel better. We can get over this thing together."  
  
"Okay, Perce, but can we go to the Great Hall first? I'll...I want to try to...eat." Percy swallowed hard at Oliver's request. He knew that he should help any way he could, but he didn't want people to see his face. What would they say? He closed his eyes and thought for a second before responding.   
  
"No problem, Oliver!" After all, love meant making sacrifices.   
  
~* C'est fini! *~ 


End file.
